Ashland City Council takes pass on discounted city hall land

The Ashland City Council reconsidered a land purchase offer to construct a new city hall and fire hall, but the endeavor died without a motion, despite the need for more space.

Ashland City had an offer on the land, contingent on council approval. Officials considered buying four lots — with the possible negotiation of a fifth — on Cumberland Street in downtown Ashland City in a special-called meeting Aug. 7, and again at its meeting Tuesday.

Those parcels totaled more than 44,000 square feet, which is more than an acre.

On Tuesday, the council considered the purchase at $500,000 for the four lots, or $610,000 for five. Both options are $50,000 lower than the original offer.

Still, none of the councilmembers made a motion one way or the other.

Previously, the vote to purchase the lots was rejected 4-3. Mayor Rick Johnson and Councilmembers Chris Kerrigan and Lisa Walker voted in favor. The remaining four representatives disagreed.

Officials say Ashland City needs a new city hall and fire station. And it should be close to the courts and jail, like the Cumberland Street site would have been.

“Proximity to where we are now is very important,” Johnson said in the Aug. 7 meeting, later adding, “They’re not making any more property. … We need more space.”

The council unanimously consented to bring in an architect for up to $10,000 to determine the necessary square footage.

Fire Department Chief Chuck Walker said in the meeting that the city did consult with one about a decade ago, but when “the economy went south,” nothing went further.

Some residents said the council missed a good opportunity.

“We’re a growing city, (and we’ll) need a new city hall, which I understand we’ve outgrown the current city hall, and a new fire hall, which I understand may not be the healthiest facility to house our city firefighters,” Ashland City resident Gerald Greer said during the public forum.

Stacey Stuart also spoke on behalf of the Cumberland Street location, which welcomes motorists to downtown. Stuart said she didn’t believe the city would lose money on the purchase, and noted that relocating city hall could offer the county an opportunity to expand the overcrowded Cheatham County Jail.

Greer said that the city “could not ask for a better location,” and that now would be an ideal time to buy before property value could increase.

He wondered: “Do we really want to wait until land is no longer affordable in downtown Ashland City before we decide to buy, assuming that there is any land available for purchase?”

Kelly Fisher, reporter for the Ashland City Times, can be reached at KPFisher@gannett.com, 615-801-3866 or on Twitter at @KellyPFisher.